Last time Arsenal were top at Christmas – A look back

Premier League returns: Arsenal's mid-season review

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Arsenal fans are still pinching themselves as they sit top of the Premier League on Christmas Day, despite missing out on the top four entirely last campaign. It has been well over a decade since the Gunners were in such a lofty position during the festive period, and last time around things looked a lot different. 

Manager Mikel Arteta kicked off the new season with five successive league wins but many questioned whether his team could keep it up over the long term. A defeat to Manchester United and a draw with Southampton are the only blips on their record so far this term, which leaves them five points clear of Manchester City. 

A total spend of under £20million in the summer before 2007/08 is less than half of what Arsenal spent on Gabriel Jesus last summer, who was among a host of other lucrative signings. Even so, the Gunners managed to top the pile on Christmas Day 15 years ago thanks to a scintillating run, orchestrated by a number of cult heroes. 

Ahead of a crunch Boxing Day clash against West Ham, Express Sport takes you through three key storylines pertinent to the last time Arsenal were top of the league at Christmas…

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Nicklas Bendtner downs Tottenham

The 6ft 4in striker has never been short of self-confidence. Almost a decade ago, he claimed that a spell at Real Madrid or Barcelona should be in his future, despite an underwhelming goals return in England with the likes of Birmingham City, Sunderland and Nottingham Forest. 

Needless to say, the stint at one of the Spanish giants never materialised but that’s not to say Bendtner didn’t have his good days. Having spent nine years on the books in north London, one of his very best came in the derby against Tottenham just before Christmas on December 22, 2007. 

The forward playfully termed ‘Lord Bendtner’ headed in the winner in a 2-1 triumph seconds after being brought on as a substitute, earning the Gunners a precious victory over their bitter rivals. Bendtner left Arsenal in 2014 and retired altogether five years later at the age of just 31. 

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Emmanuel Adebayor on fire

The Togolese frontman was similarly commanding at 6ft 3in tall and his best Arsenal season by far came in 2007/08. Adebayor finished the campaign with 30 goals in all competitions, including 24 in the Premier League, although he was still a fair way behind Cristiano Ronaldo in the race for the Golden Boot. 

Adebayor was also on target in the 2-1 win over Spurs just before Christmas, as he was more often than not during Arsenal’s scintillating start to the 2007/08 campaign. He eventually signed for Manchester City in the summer of 2009, famously running the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of his former supporters after heading in at the Etihad. 

15-game unbeaten streak

Under Arsene Wenger, the Gunners were on fire the last time they topped the table at Christmas as they started the campaign with an undefeated streak of 15 league matches. That included games against Liverpool at Anfield and Manchester United at home – neither of whom managed to come out on the winning side. 

Arsenal were eventually beaten away at Middlesbrough on December 9, leaving one blemish on their record by Christmas Day, but they wouldn’t taste defeat again until matchday 31 against Chelsea. 

Incredibly, that spectacular run still wasn’t enough to see them win a first league crown since 2003/04 as Man Utd and Chelsea finished ahead, leaving the Gunners four points off the title in third. Arteta and co will hope that they don’t meet a similar fate this term. 

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